Turnout
by terrorteen
Summary: Before puberty worked its magic, before he blossomed into more than a wallflower, before he transformed into a monster… they had been best friends. And through it all, Sasuke had always loved her.


**A/N:** I do not own Naruto!  
This fic begins with a present day scene, and then we see a few flashbacks to explore Sakura & Sasuke's childhood. It will end with a present-day scene as well.. so please pay attention to the dates in bold at the top of each scene. I'm structuring it like this because I'd like to show the changes between the past and present of their lives. This explanation is for anyone who might find things confusing to read. Not every chapter will be like this, but for chapter 1 I'd like to lay a solid foundation and give you guys a good idea of where things are coming from and what's going on. As the story progresses, more of their past will be revealed along with present day occurrences.

* * *

 ** _August 3, 2015 (present)_**

 _Please stand clear of the automatic doors._

A sly chill circled Sakura's exposed neck, causing her to pull the loosely draped scarf hanging over her shoulders close.

 _Train G1 approaching. Please stand clear of the automatic doors._

She could see clearly her own reflection in the glass doors before her. Pink hair pulled tightly into a bun atop her head, wide green eyes above a small nose and full lips. There were shadows under those eyes, borne of early morning jogs and late nights slaving over her medical textbooks, most recently a pathophysiology tome. The sound of her parents screeching obscenities back and forth in the adjoining room didn't help much, either.

The image before her separated, splitting her face in half and releasing a stream of passengers into the subway station.

She stepped on board, not even bothering to join the mad scramble for a seat. Resting against one of the metal poles, Sakura spread her legs slightly to avoid being jostled by the train's momentum. Within moments she was surrounded by passengers, their bodies pressing into her more than she would have liked. It was a little before 5pm, and rush hour in Tokyo was no joke.

 _Train G1 departing. Please stand clear of the automatic doors._

Tuning out the monotonous voice that blared over the station's intercom, Sakura focused instead on doing a mental run through of her solo routine for her upcoming ballet recital. The show was to be held within a week's time; a fairly popular event in her city. She'd been through the routine a million times, but there was no doubt that she could always be _better.  
_ Dancing was something she reveled in; it was her escape, but that didn't mean it was all work and no play. Sakura worked hard every lesson, pushing herself to the limit without a second thought, and it had definitely paid off- snagging the lead role in _Swan Lake_ was no easy feat. Most people couldn't begin to imagine the amount of strength it took to be a ballerina, both mental and physical. They saw a bunch of performers dancing lightly on their toes, executing gravity defying leaps, flying through the air… but there was so much more to the art than that. It was the back-breaking challenge that had captivated her, the same challenge that fueled her love for the medical sciences. Mastering something difficult always brought her an unmatched satisfaction, something she felt in her bones. She felt at home on stage- beautiful, powerful, untouchable, mesmerizing.

Twenty minutes later, flashes of her destined station teased her through the train's glass windows. Anxious to get off, Sakura queued in line and soon had her feet above ground, bounding up the stairs into the sprawling performance theatre.  
Tension knotted her shoulders- she couldn't wait to warm up. The past few weeks at home had been hell, and every minute of practice was her reprieve.  
Opening her locker, she shed her outer wear, exchanging polite greetings with fellow dancers as they filtered into the changing room. Now rid of her jeans and button-down, the usual flesh-coloured tights and black leotard clung to her skin. After pulling on a pair of dance pants, she slipped into her pointe shoes.

In minutes she had the familiar feel of the barre resting beneath her hand.  
As her eyes adjusting to the startling glare of sunlight on the hardwood floor, she began a quick series of plies, relishing in how her muscles loosened as she sank into the stretch. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Shadows skittered across the room as the other ballerinas fell into place, stretching with equally languid grace.

Shortly, the gentle notes of the piano filled their ears, signaling that it was time to start the class. For the next three hours, even as they relocated under the artificial lights of the theatre, her mind was at peace.

* * *

 ** _December 14, 1993_**

She wanted more.

The dining room table groaned beneath the spread of countless delicious meals, but at present the gravy boat was empty and Haruno Hanako was simply _not_ having it. Glancing at the clock, her irritation was momentarily replaced by shock with the realization of just how late it was.

Where was her husband?

"Is something the matter, Mrs. Haruno?" one of the maids had descended the stairs into the kitchen and noticed her employer's discomfort.

"No, Heather everything's fine…" the woman's sudden presence distracted her from the late hour. "As a matter of fact, refill this pot of gravy for me, will you? Please." The red-haired woman smiled kindly with the request.

"Of course, madame." Quick as a sprite, Heather was in and out of the kitchen with a renewed supply of gravy, which now sat steaming under Hanako's nose.

Slathering a generous spoonful over her mountain of rice, Hanako dug into dinner once more, left hand resting gently atop her swollen womb. She was six months along now and well accustomed to the unborn child nestled between her wide hips. Pregnancy was treating her well, lending a beautiful glow to her heart shaped face and rosy cheeks. On a nightly basis she feasted heartily, before lying in contentment on the sofa while her husband massaged her feet.

Speaking of her husband…

Her plump cheeks fell into a frown, brows crinkling at the middle.

Abandoning her dinner temporarily, Hanako hoisted herself to her feet and waddled over to the cordless phone. She nearly jumped out of her skin when it rang just as her fingers were shy of grasping the thing.

Holding a hand to her chest, she took a calming breath before pressing the glowing green _talk_ button.

"Hello, good night?"

"Hanako!" the melodious tones of Uchiha Mikoto filtered through the receiver. A smile lit her face immediately. Thoughts of her husband were once again pushed to the back of her mind. "Good, you're home." Mikoto confirmed cheerfully, " I'm coming to visit."

Minutes later, the doorbell chimed.

Hanako swung open the large cherry wood doors to reveal a rosy-cheeked Mikoto, well bundled in a periwinkle coat and nose deep in a knitted scarf, flakes of snow falling gently behind her. An arm emerged the driver's side of the old red pickup truck in the driveway, greeting her with a wave. The headlights blinded her against the darkness of the night, but Hanako knew it was Mikoto's husband, Uchiha Fugaku, and lifted her arm to return the gesture. Quickly, before her guest grew cold, she ushered her into the house.

"You're looking beautiful, Hana-chan!" Mikoto's usual compliment brought a grin to her lips.

"Please, Miko-chan, I could only wish to wear pregnancy as well as you. Even four months into your second child, you could pass for a model" she teased, drawing a lovely smile from her friend. Hanako knew her own pregnancy was going as smoothly as she could have wished, but it never ceased to amaze her how Mikoto's usual elegance and dark beauty multiplied tenfold when she was with child.

"Have you eaten?" she led her through the spotless foyer and into her dining room, a sly grin spread across her face. Mikoto shot her a knowing look, well accustomed to the gigantic amount of food her friend consumed on a nightly basis.

"Well, we can't let all of this go to waste…" she patted her belly soothingly. "Right, little Kimiko?"

Hanako rolled her eyes, though the corner of her lips quirked upwards.

"I see you haven't given up hope that you'll be having a girl." She spooned rice onto a clean plate before passing it along to the brunette, who began making selections to her liking.

"Of course, no matter what I will love my child to the ends of the earth… but it would be so sweet for Itachi to have a little sister." With a soft smile, she piled several strips of tonkatsu onto her plate along with a large helping of cabbage.

"Us both having daughters would be lovely, wouldn't it?" Hanako's eyes alighted on her own belly fondly. "Setting them up for play dates and sleepovers…"

Mikoto's eyes twinkled appreciatively towards her friend. They'd known each other for little more than half a year, but in that short time they'd become fast friends. Hanako's outspoken nature brought mirth to their conversations, something the more reserved Uchiha matriarch greatly enjoyed. She was the kind of friend who always said what was on her mind- the good, the bad and the ugly. She was unafraid to voice her opinions and stick up for herself, no matter her opponent. Just last week the woman had nearly gotten into a fight with a man who had swooped in on the parking space she was clearly backing into. In fact, if Mikoto hadn't been there she was sure Hanaka would have dragged him from his vehicle and done some serious harm. She was pregnant, but Haruno Hanaka was well versed in kickboxing and still continued training (albeit lightly) twice a week.

The young age of their friendship was certainly not indicative of the level of trust and love between the two.

"Whatever the sex of our children, I'm sure they'll have a wonderful time together." Mikoto responded sincerely, starting on her meal.  
Mouth full, Hanako agreed with a nod and a smile.

* * *

 ** _October 2, 2005_**

Physically, Uchiha Sasuke was Haruno Sakura's complete opposite. At first glance they seemed an unlikely combination, but anyone could see that their friendship was an easy and genuine one, even for a pair of prep school students.

"Sasuke, come on!" Sakura whined from downstairs, ignoring the affectionate ruffling of her hair as Mikoto walked by. When it came to playtime the pinkette was a single-minded little girl, and right now patience was a foreign concept to her as Sasuke was more than five minutes tardy for their trip to the neighborhood park. Her chubby cheeks were rosy from the exertion of riding to his house as fast as she could, a sheen of sweat covering the light freckles splashed across her nose.

"Quit yelling Sakura, I'm coming," her friend answered calmly as he finally descended the stairs before her, his lanky twelve-year-old frame accented with protective kneepads and elbow guards. She grinned eagerly at him, grabbing his arm and dragging him out to their awaiting bikes.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming next-

"Race you to the park, Sasuke!" she didn't give him a spare second before she mounted her bike and went careening off down his driveway, her short pink hair sticking out haphazardly from beneath her helmet. Behind him, Mikoto chuckled fondly at the familiar scene.

"Are you ever going to win this race, Sasuke-kun?" she teased, smoothing down his unruly hair and handing him a helmet of his own.

"Of course I could! But Sakura's always so excited, she never races fair." Sliding his helmet on, he turned to give his mother a kiss on the cheek before mounting his bicycle.

"Please be home by five, I don't want any excuses this time!" Mikoto instructed as she watched him pedal down the driveway. He raised an arm in response, and in a second he was out of sight.

As Sasuke turned the corner, he spotted the little white dot that was Sakura near the end of the road, coming up to a stop sign. Grinning, he pumped his legs hard, decreasing the gap between them with every passing second. Sakura looked back as she slowed before the stop sign, sticking her tongue out when she realized just how far behind he was.

"You're such a slowpoke, Uchiha!" She yelled.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Sasuke muttered, willing his legs to go faster. The wind flew by him as the evening sun hung low in the sky, bathing the street in gold. He knew he couldn't catch up to her from this distance, but it was still fun to try.

* * *

Sakura had already dismounted her bike and sat waiting for him when he arrived, a snow cone in each hand. She was panting slightly, but looked quite pleased with her victory as she usually did after cheating at the start of every race.

"You know if I had a fair start I would have won, right?" Sasuke asked as she handed him his blueberry-flavored treat.

She shrugged.

"It's not my fault you're never ready, Sasuke. Besides, I'm pretty fast." She ate with gusto as he sat next to her on the bench, sliding his helmet off to feel the cool air pass through his sweaty locks.

"Whatever," he acquiesced, knowing she loved to win and he didn't really mind letting her. Being greeted by a fresh snow cone wasn't a bad prize for second place, either.

"Did you finish the homework for Iruka-sensei's class?" she chirped, crumpling her empty cup and tossing it into a nearby trashcan. Her lips were stained bright pink from the strawberry syrup as she turned to her friend.

"Of course," Sasuke answered. His parents always ensured that he did his homework the very day it was assigned. The material was a breeze for him, so he didn't mind at all. "Did you?" he asked knowingly. Sakura was the type of person to put her homework off til the last minute, and her parents were always so busy they didn't monitor her progress very well. He usually ended up helping her complete assignments the night before they were due, or even in the morning before class.

A guilty look on her face, Sakura was about to answer but a shout interrupted her, and a head of spiky blonde hair appeared before them.

"I can't believe you guys came here without me!" Uzumaki Naruto pouted, sporting what Sasuke secretly thought was an offensively bright tracksuit.

"I called you, silly, but you weren't home!" Sakura retorted, pursing her lips. Naruto perked up at the realization that he hadn't been totally forgotten.

"Oh yeah, Jiraiya and I went shopping for comic books. There's a new volume of _Yu-Yu Hakusho_ out, have you guys seen it?"

"Uh, yeah, I got it on Thursday. You're so _late_ , Naruto." Sakura responded, giggling when his eyes bulged in shock.

"My parents know the person who ships comics in for the bookstore, so he always gives us new releases early. Sasuke's already borrowed it, too."

Looking incredibly betrayed, Naruto folded his arms in disbelief, glaring at the pair of them.

"Well how was I supposed to know if no one told me-" before he could complete his scandalized outburst, Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him into the seat next to her, between herself and Sasuke.

"I'm sorry Naruto, you can borrow mine from now on alright?" she said pacifyingly. "Sasuke only knows because we've been friends for so long. It's a well kept secret." She slung her arm around the slouching boy, speaking in hushed tones.

Sasuke continued eating his snow cone, observing the sulky blonde with amusement. He didn't mind this arrangement, so long as he was still privy to Sakura's staggering collection of manga.

"Well… alright." Naruto seemed comforted by her promise, and slung his arms around both her and Sasuke's shoulders, looking up happily at the cloudless sky.

"Hey Sasuke it's pretty hot today… share some of that with me, will ya'?"

* * *

 ** _September 2, 2006_**

Sasuke had been to Konohagakure High before, when his father came to pick up Itachi after school. It had intimidated him the first time, but after a while he'd grown used to the parking lot flooded with older students. There were quite a few interesting characters to observe and of course, he noticed that high school girls were nothing like the girls at his school. The way they dressed, the way they acted- it was expected that they'd be different, but to Sasuke they generally seemed to be trying to appear more mature than they really were.

He enjoyed observing the behavior of teenagers from the safety of his father's pickup, but right now on his first day of highschool, Sasuke found himself a bit nervous.

Fugaku had dropped off both he and Itachi at the steps, and his brother left to speak to a teacher about some science competition before classes could begin. All Itachi had offered was an annoying poke to his forehead and a _"good luck today, Sasuke"_ before disappearing.

Fiddling with his bag strap, Sasuke made his way to the freshmen lockers, taking in the cliques of students as he passed by. First years had been assigned locker numbers at orientation, and his was right next to Naruto's. Unfortunately, the loudmouthed blonde was nowhere in sight and he felt a bit isolated as all around him groups of people chattered boisterously about summer vacation and groaned heartily to each other about the beginning of the semester.

Opening his locker, he unloaded his textbooks and pulled a printed timetable from his bag, about to tape it up on the inside. As he did so however, something slammed suddenly on the locker door with a loud crash, nearly crushing his hand in the process. If he'd been a second slower, Sasuke doubted his wrist would have remained intact.

Obnoxious laughter reached his ears, and he spotted a football lying on the ground next to his feet.

"Hey fatso, pass me that ball will you? If you can bend past your stomach to reach it, that is." Someone sneered from his left. Silence fell over the immediate vicinity as he turned to see who had almost destroyed his arm.

He was met by a muscular boy in a black jersey, his face marked in purple paint. A crowd of dumb-looking cronies stood behind him, grinning maliciously at his comment.

"Get it yourself." He responded monotonously, turning to continue what he'd been doing. It was just his luck to get singled out by a bunch of idiots on the first day. He couldn't fight, and he didn't know anyone here, but he wasn't about to grovel in front of them like a spineless weakling.

Amused chuckles filled his ears in the dead silence of the hallway. People continued walking by, sparing them curious glances but deciding not to get involved.

"What's that?" the purple-faced imbecile asked mockingly, turning to his friends. "Did he tell me to get it myself?" a dangerous sneer twisted his ugly face almost frighteningly.

"Yes, that's exactly what he said."

A new voice, much more high pitched than either of the previous two, rang clear in response to the obviously rhetorical question.

Sasuke turned around, nervousness filling his stomach for a different reason. That sounded an awful lot like-

"Who the hell are you? Butt out, little girl, before I have to hurt you too." Came the older boy's despicable reply. People were starting to look around uncomfortably now, but still no one intervened.

"You nearly smashed his hand into the locker, you idiot. You should apologize instead of picking a fight and telling him to give the ball back!"

"Sakura!" Sasuke hissed, signaling for her to be quiet with his eyes. He'd been feeling very alone, but this was incredibly bad timing. It was no secret that Sakura had a very hot temper, and he didn't need her getting into a fight on her first day of school because of him. There was no way he'd let some buffoon lay a hand on her, but he had no desire to get beaten to a pulp today.

Sasuke was no coward, however he knew a losing battle when he saw one, and while paint-face was quite obviously cut under that hoodie, well… the name "fatso" wasn't exactly an inaccurate self-description.

The bully advanced towards Sakura and Sasuke grabbed her arm, forcing him to stand behind her. He was shorter than her by several centimeters and had no idea what to do to protect himself, but his mother had taught him to be a gentleman, at the very least. He absolutely would not allow Sakura to get hit. Anger boiled in his veins, and his hands curled into fists. What kind of disgusting guy threatened to hit a girl half his size, anyways? And where the hell were the _teachers?_

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice interrupted before Sasuke was forced to endure a beating, and he almost sighed with relief.

"None of your business, Uchiha. I'm just asking this runt to hand me my ball back, is all." Paint-face explained nonchalantly, the dark look in his eye intensifying.

"Get away from my brother before something unfortunate happens to you, Kankurou." there was a frostiness to his brother's voice that Sasuke had never heard before, and he glanced at him with barely concealed surprise.

A murmer ran through the nearby students. That unfortunate-looking guy was Itachi Uchiha's _brother?  
_ Sasuke groaned. Now the entire school would know who he was, and it was because of something like this.

Kankurou's beady eyes shifted from Itachi to Sasuke and back again, a light of recognition dawning on his features. His expression soured, and when he chuckled it was without humor.

"Nothing to get worked up about, sir student council president." he approached Sasuke slowly, bending down mere inches from him as he retrieved the football. Sasuke glared at him the entire time, his grip on Sakura's arm tightening.

"See you around, little Uchiha." Kankurou breath was foul in his ear, smelling of cigarettes. Sasuke didn't bat an eye until he turned and left, with that absurdly large following of friends in his wake.

"I swear if I ever get my _hands_ on that guy!" Sakure was still fuming beside him, "The nerve! He's lucky you came, Itachi." she turned to Sasuke's brother, who smiled in amusement at her familiar temper.  
She was definitely Haruno Hanako's child.

"I think Sasuke's lucky to have such a good friend to stand up for him," he replied.  
Sasuke ignored the pair of them, finally taping his schedule to the locker. He was sure the bell was about to ring any second now; their audience had dissipated and students were moving hurriedly through the hallway, sounds of lockers slamming shut punctuating the rush.

He appreciated both Itachi and Sakura, however needing someone else to save his hide was unquestionably embarassing. Not to mention Sakura could have gotten herself seriously injured. She wasn't weak and defenseless by any means, but the kickboxing she did with her mother didn't qualify her to stand up to such a hulk of a guy without getting hurt. His mother would surely kill him if something like that happened on his watch.

"Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late." he turned to Sakura, who nodded, looking him over with obvious concern. Her hair had grown out past her shoulders and she'd straightened it, he presumed, to look nice on her first day of school. She wore a layer of gloss on her lips but no other makeup, which relieved him for some reason. It was nice to know that despite everything she was the same old Sakura, and he wasn't facing his first day of highschool alone. Still, that look of protectiveness and worry was a little irritating. He wasn't a weak little kid.

"I'm _fine_ , Sakura. Quit worrying."

She raised her eyebrows, "I wasn't..." she trailed off when he fixed her with a look.

"See you later aniki." he mumbled to his brother, who smirked at their interaction.

"Try to stay out of trouble, otouto."

* * *

 ** _August 11, 2015_**

"I swear on my life, if you don't stop doing this bullshit I'm going to kill you!" Hanakos's voice raged loud and clear despite the fact that her room door was closed. Sakura sat shrouded in darkness before her vanity, the lights dotting its periphery illuminating her cold, dead eyes. Her cotton-candy locks fell long and luxuriously pin-straight around her. The flat iron sat on the desk, still warm from use.

She was dressed in her warm up sweats and a pair of boots, a thin shawl circling her neck. Her face was bare for the time being as she wasn't especially good at doing makeup, so Ino would take on that responsibility for tonight's show. Her friend had promised to make her look beautiful the for her big recital- this was definitely her biggest achievement to date and she planned to shine in _all_ aspects.

"What do you mean you're a part of this family, Sadao? Our daughter has a rehearsal tonight and you didn't even know because you're gallivanting across the country doing kami knows what!"

The pinkette turned in irritation to the wall separating her from her arguing parents, her lip curling in disgust. She wasn't especially shocked by the fact that her father had forgotten the recital, but some peace and quiet to gather her thoughts before she went of to perform before hundreds of people would have been nice.

"I am the backbone of this family!" her father barked. He usually ignored Hanako, but when he decided to respond things never, ever ended well. Hurriedly, Sakura grabbed her already-packed bag and ignored the roiling in her gut. If she stayed any longer, she knew her performance would be a mess.

"I pay for every one of those damned ballerina lessons- I pay for the clothes too and I pay for her schooling! Don't you dare question my role in this family!" the baritone of Sadao's voice multiplied tenfold once she stood outside her room, and she clenched her hands into fists for a moment, hesitating. Should she say something to them? Her chest tightened painfully before she bolted for the stairs, escaping through the door without a word.

She hailed the first cab that came by and sped off towards the theatre, glad that she wasn't already in makeup, because it would certainly have been ruined.

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, so I KNOW I'm supposed to be working on Authentiques right now and I have been, but I've also had this really interesting idea for a SasuSaku fic for months now and I'm eager to share! Sasuke may seem OOC in this chapter, but that's because he is untainted by life (if you didn't know about Sasuke's personality before the massacre, he was a very sweet and loving child). This fic kinda follows the manga plot but with an AU/fantasy twist... and some key differences that you'll have to read to find out :) I've been interested in exploring a Sasuke/Sakura relationship that wasn't always about her pining after him, and so here we are- Sasuke was NOT always a hunk! Haha this first chapter was sort of dramatic, but there are elements to both their personalities that I really wanted to establish from the get go. Also as you can tell, Sakura's life isn't exactly a walk in the park at the moment. Please review and tell me what you think!


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